Process of dehydrating oil



Filed Feb. 4. 1924 V C CRITES ET AL PROCESS OF DEHYDHAIING OIL 'NIH Patented Nov. il, 1924.

STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

VIRG-IL C. CRIMES AND KENNETH A. WRIGHT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AS-

SIGNORS, BY DIRECT AN IDI MIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0' AMERICAN OIL DEHYDRATING CO., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OFDEHYDRATING OIL.

Appiliation filed February 4, 1924. Serial No. 690,529.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, VIRGIL C. CRrrEs and KENNETH A.. WRIGHT, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Dehydrating Oil, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for treating oils.

An object of our invention is the provision of a process for dehydrating o-ils and is especially applicable tgfcrude oils for the purpose of renderingZ-the same free from water, although the -processimay be'used with other oils.

Other objects of our invention will be apparent during a reading of the following specication.

It is well known that crude oil as produced from wells contains a c onsiderable amount of Water which occurs in the oil as both a suspension and as an emulsion. It has been found difficult to separate the oil from the water, and especially from the water, which occurs in the form of an emulsion.

According to our invention a practicall complete separation of the oil and the adymixed water may be effected by treating the crude oil with a dehydrating agent. The

dehydrating agent may be for example, calicum chloride, and this is preferably em- -ployed in a solution, the specific gravity of which solution is a factor affecting the efficiency of the process. According to our tests thus far the preferred' specific gravity of the calcium chloride solution is from 1.35o to 1.6 Baume at 120 F. and this solution is preferably heated for treating the oil and the temperature is suitable at 180 F..

During the action of the calcium chloride on the water contained in the oil, the specific gravity of the calcium chloride solution will be diminished due to the absorption of water from the oil and will pass outslde the proper limits. When this stage has been reached, the calcium chloride solution is withdrawn andv may be evaporated until the proper specific gravity is restored, when it may be used again.

Before the oil is subjected to the dehydrating action of the calcium chloride solution it is preferably preheated and a suitable temperature range has been found by us to be from 140o to 200o F.

Our invention may be practised with various forms of apparatus but for purpose of illustration it will be described in connection with one form of apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the numeral 5 indicates a tank containing the crude oil to be dehydrated and from which it is withdrawn by a pump 6 and sent through a series of screens contained in a vessel 7 for filtration purposes. From the vessel 7 the oil is pumped into a p-reheater 8 which receives steam from a boiler 10 through a pipe line 11. The crude oil is heated inthe preheater 8 preferably to a temperature within the range of 140 to 200J F.

The oil leaves the preheater 8 and enters a pipe 12 which ends in a solution of calcium chloride 13 held in a'container 14 which encloses portions of a steam coil 16 leading from the preheater- 8 and ending at a point 18 outside of the container 14 where the steam discharges into the atmosphere. The

21 of the feed pipe 12 rises through the' calcium chloride solution 13 and passes through a series of transverse spaced screens 22 supported in the container 14. The screens 22 are preferably of gradually smaller mesh as they rise in the container 14,

so.I

and serve the purpose of rejecting solid particles contained in the oil, but are provided mainly to break up the oil and thus expose an increased oil surface to the action of the dehydrating agent.

The dehydrated oil rises to the top of the container 14 from which it may be withdrawn on either side through pipes 23 provided with valves 24 and discharged into elevated tanks 25 having covers 25 provided with vents 26.

Provision is made as b a pipe 27 ending above a tank 28, for wit drawing sediment which may f collect yin the container or ytank f vertical rods 32 connected at their .upper f rends by a'ftransverse horizontal'b'ar 33pmvided with 'an eyebolt 85 which; may ber en;y .fgaged by a; hook fwhen a vented lcover 37 l of; the container is removed yandthus i thev f 7 i top plate mayy be lifted from the container yand cleaned. f

f Vhen ythe specific 'gravity lof the :calciumy chloride solution hasbeenl diminished by i absorption; v'ofwaterfrontthe'oilto such ani yextent that itis outside suitable limits, it; maylheavithdrawn'from rthe container 14 vrthrough a pipef39 to'anlevaporator ,410.' l:'Ihe:

l v connected toa pump 42 which ydravvsthe calf i ciunflv yChloride solution" from ,the f container i y14,: andl pumpsl it into the. evaporator 40.' The f lpipe39y isprovided with va valve 11 and is evaporator 40 receives; steam: from k.a boiler 43v through va pipe 44, for thepurpose of e'vap''y ,forating the calcium chloride solution untilrv it reaches :the desired: specificy gravity; whichy i ymay, be L5? kBaume atv ,120y .F.g; The vrce1;- vr,ciu'mkr chloride -f isl returned to ythe tanky 14 ythrough.apipe 45a @z .f l 1 f zThe steam iswdischargedfrom the evapoyrater 4:0. ythroughy a pipe 46 which leads yto f f v afcoil 47 partly'enclosed by the tankltv and 1, ending at the orice LSwhere'thesteam 'dis rChargesintolllevaumosphere1.' f The steam iny thes coil 47. heats the liquid surrounding it to a suitable temperature, which may be 180 F. E

A steam pipe 50 is shown entering near the bottom of the tank 14 which may be used when it is necessary to clean the tank and discharge.. gatesjl are shown at the bottom of the tank for the discharge 0f sediment.

Manholes 52 are provided .in .the tank shell to facilitate entrance into the tank when necessarylj While We haveherein described one form of our invention, modifications thereof may be devised Without departing from the spirvprising'- preheatiug the oil) fpassing the'oil tion of calcium chloride.

it thereof, 'and it to rbei i understood thatf yle claim as our'invention':""" :y vrl. The processofdehydratingcilcom- 5r l prisingf treating. 'they oil with a solution of y i f l' calcium chloride'. f

The process o'f-dehydratingoily coml prising treating the yoilwith .a solution. of "i calcium chloride' havinga specific gravity r6| ,ranginglsubstantiallyfromv 1.35Q 'to 1.6"' Baume.y ,lnfThe process of dehydrating oily conn lprising treating the voilWith a heated Soluf v .m y. f 4.' The 'process yofi ldehydrating yoilv com# prising ttreating-'theoill with: a solutiony of *i .calcium chloride'heated ytov a temperature ofy the order of i180@ F'.,' 'the' specific gravity of the l y,solution f i being i substantially between' tion of calcium chloride. f

reso-and' 1.6o 'Bauman 120 F. f

aiTheprocess offpurifying crude ioil fifi comprising ypreheating[fthe 'f oil i and subse-'l f f krquently.passingthe oi-l thru a rheatedsolution of calcium chl'orideyrl fr.; v 6.y The process of purifying crude oil'c'onrky pri'sing preheating ythe 'oil to a temperature 'g f ranging between v14,0"y and 120209v F; y.and' 's11b f sequently passingtheoily thru a' solution of 'calcium chloride heated to av temperature of l80 y the order yof 1800; yF.; the specific gravity ofr the calcium chlorider vsolution beingvbetween i f z1.359and1.6" Baum. -f v;-r -fzy f y7. v Theprocess of purifying crudeoilcom'-r 'y l thru a heated solution of,calciu1 n chloride and simultaneously filtering the oil.

8. The process of dehydrating oil comprising the absorption of the Water held in suspension in the oil by a solution of calcium chloride. l y

9. The process of dehydrating oil comprising the treatment of oil containing Water held in emulsion with the oil by a solu-v -In testimony whereof We have signed our names to specification.

f YVIRGIL C. Curries.

KENNETH A. WRIGHT. 

